Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were arrested on Sunday evening in connection with a series of incidents in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood of New Castle County, Delaware. The juveniles, who were identified on Sunday, were accused of approaching homes in the area late Friday night, wearing tactical-style vests and carrying what appeared to be rifles.
According to police, the teens were attempting to pull off a prank, but their actions alarmed neighbors and prompted a response from law enforcement. Officers were called to the scene after residents reported seeing masked individuals approaching homes, and surveillance images released by police showed one individual wearing a black hockey-style mask and tactical-style vest while holding what appears to be a rifle.
A search warrant was executed at one of the teens' homes, where a gel bead gun, tactical vest, and hockey-style mask were recovered. The juveniles were charged with two misdemeanor counts of harassment, one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief, and two criminal trespassing violations.
The investigation began after residents reported seeing masked individuals approaching homes in the area, and police initially believed the apparent weapons may have been airsoft-style guns. However, police have not confirmed whether the recovered gel bead gun was the weapon seen in the surveillance images.
The incident has raised concerns about the potential for misunderstandings and miscommunications, particularly in light of a similar incident in Philadelphia earlier this year, in which a man wearing a mask was caught on camera terrorizing pedestrians.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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